Sprinkler housing

ABSTRACT

An improved sprinkler housing particularly adapted for mounting on flat terrain which permits the installer to easily adjust the level of the housing in order to suit the local terrain without changing the nipple at its bottom end. The sprinkler housing is adjusted by means of turning a rod which is pivotably coupled parallel to the sprinkler housing so that an eccentric lock connected to the end of the rod and engaged to the coupling or nipple, locks the coupling after the proper height adjustment has been completed.

i United States Patent Faragasso 1 July 4, 1972 s41 SPRINKLER HOUSING 3,404,841 10/1968 Brittain et al .239 204 [72] Inventor: Frank Faragasso, 3048 Waverly Ave., '323232 1,373,324 3 1921 Gomez ..239/587 x [22] Filed: Sept. 21, 1970 I Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King [21] Appl 74086 Assistant Examiner-Reinhold W. Thieme Attorney-Allison C. Collard [52] US. Cl ..239/204,239/587 [51] Int. Cl ..B05b 15/10 [57] ABSTRACT [58] held of Search 239/200 An improved sprinkler housing particularly adapted for 1 mounting on flat terrain which permits the installer to easily adjust the level of the housing in order to suit the local terrain [56] Re'erences Cited without changing the nipple at its bottom end. The sprinkler UNTED STATES PATENTS housing is adjusted by means of turning a rod which is pivotably coupled parallel to the sprinkler housing so that an Sweetland eccentric lock onnected to the end of the rod and engaged to 2,989,246 6/196] Sloane ..239/204 h li or ni le, locks the coupling after the proper l,058,549 4/1913 Cathcart ..239/204 height adjusmem has been completed 1,833,040 11/1931 Rader ..239/20l 3,404,840 10/ 1968 Trickeym. ..239/204 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures QT1 I k t4- a 30, l a

PATENTEDJUL 4 m2 3 6 7'4, 1 0

INVENTOR. FRAN K FARAGA 5 S0 WQMQ ATTORNEY SPRINKLERHOUSING This invention relates to a sprinkler which is capable of being easily adjusted without disassembling its component parts.

More specifically, this invention relates to an improved sprinkler having a lock rod which is accessible from the top of the sprinkler and which engages a coupling at the bottom of the sprinkler housing with an eccentric lock for locking the feed nipple or coupling at the desired position after the level of sprinkler has been adjusted.

Conventional sprinkler systems and those generally used for watering a flat terrain and the like include a sprinkler head which becomes elevated when water pressure is applied to the system. The level of each sprinkler generally requires adjustment after the sprinkler system has been installed and during its operating life. In order to adjust a conventional sprinkler after it has settled in the ground, it is often necessary to completely disassemble its component parts by digging up the sprinkler housing and couplings.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved adjustable sprinkler system which utilizes a lock rod pivotably disposed and parallel to the sprinkler housing, and having one end accessible within a cavity adjacent to the sprinkler head. The other end of the lock rod is connected to an eccentric cam which in one position, engages the feed nipple or coupling at the bottom of the sprinkler housing. When the lock rod is rotated approximately a quarter of a turn, the ec' centric lock becomes disengaged from the coupling, to release the coupling for sliding within the housing so that the sprinkler head may be raised or lowered in order to obtain a more desirable sprinkler pattern. The rod can then be rotated to reengage the eccentric lock against the extension or coupling at the bottom of the sprinkler housing.

It is, therefore, an object according to the present invention to provide an improved adjustable sprinkler which permits the sprinkler housing to be easily adjusted without disassembling its components.

It is another object according to the present invention to provide an improved adjustable sprinkler system having a lock rod, accessible in a cavity adjacent to the sprinkler head, with an eccentric cam at one end for engaging and disengaging the feed coupling so as to permit the sprinkler to be raised or lowered.

It is still a further object according to the present invention to provide an improved sprinkler which is simple in design, efficient in operation and inexpensive in cost.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing which discloses the embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing is designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawing, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. I is a plan perspective view partly in cross section of the sprinkler system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through section 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through section 4--4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through section 5-5 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown a sprinkler irrigation housing generally designated as consisting of an elongated cylindrical tube having a flat flange 1 1 integrally formed on its top surface. The sprinkler housing is preferably mounted in a level flat ground surface 30 so that flange ll lies flat on the ground or protrudes slightly above the ground surface 30. Slidably disposed within the hollow portion of housing 10 is a sprinkler head 13 having a plurality of fluid outlet apertures 31 disposed along its sides adjacent to its top surface. Apertures 31 are communicative to a hollow channel formed within sprinkler l3. Sprinkler 13 is threadably engaged to a riser 14 by means of threads 15. Riser 14 also includes a hollow channel 33 which is communicative to fluid channel 32 of sprinkler 13. A key 26 on riser 14 is slidably coupled to a vertical key-way 12 in housing 10 to prevent riser 14 from rotating with respect to housing 10. Threadably engaged to the bottom of riser 14 by means of thread I6is an elongated hollow tube 18 terminating along its bottom portion in a flange 28. Tube 14 slidably fits through a flange which includes an enlarged aperture 34 which is slightly smaller than the diameter of flange 28 so as to prevent tube 18 from passing therethrough. Disposed below tube 18 is a coupling 20 having a water passage 35 concentrically disposed throughout its length. Water passage 35 of tube 20 is preferably smaller in diameter than flange 28 so that the flange will cause tube 18 to rest on the top surface of coupling 20. Coupling 35 is slidably inserted into the bottom opening of tube 10 and includes thread 22 on its bottom portion for engaging a fluid feedline 21. Disposed along the side and running approximately parallel to housing 10 is a control rod 15. The top end of rod 15 is preferably slotted to receive a tool such as a screwdriver. The top end of rod 15 is recessed within cavity 36 of flange 11. The other end of rod 15 is coupled through bearing 27 on the lower end of housing 10. An eccentric lock 23 is secured at its end, for locking engagement against coupling 20 as shown in detail in FIG. 5. Coupling 20 is also slidably keyed within housing 10 to prevent its rotation when it is threadablly coupled to inlet pipe 21.

When water is applied through feed pipe 21 and passes through channel 35, tube 18 is pushed upward and carries riser 14 and sprinkler head 13 to an elevated position as shown in dotted line. The water then passes through the central openings of tube 18, riser l4 and sprinkler head 13 to exit out of nozzles 31. When sprinkler housing l0is initially installed in an opening formed in ground 30, it is threadably coupled to inlet pipe 21 which is fixed at some predetermined subterranean level. After coupling 20 is completely threadably engaged to inlet pipe 21, flange 11 of housing 10 may require additional adjustment in height or depth with respect to the surface of ground 30. The installer of sprinkler housing 10 then applies a screw driver or other suitable tool to the end of rod 15 in order to rotate eccentric cam or lock 23 away from coupling 20. The housing can then be further adjusted in height with respect to ground 30 since coupling 20 is freely slidable within housing 10. After the desired depth of housing 10 has been reached, rod 15 can be rotated approximately a quarter of a turn to engage eccentric lock 23 against the side of coupling 20 to prevent any further sliding movement of the coupling inside housing 10. Housing 10 may require further adjustment in height as ground 30 settles, so that it is easy to disengage eccentric lock 23 by rotating rod 15 and reset the proper depth of housing 10.

While only a single embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lawn sprinkler, including a housing, and a sprinkler head slidably disposed within the housing, for distributing water over a selected area of terrain, the combination comprising:

an inlet nozzle, coupled to a water feed pipe, slidably disposed and non-rotatably secured within the sprinkler housing for supplying water to the sprinkler head;

an elongated, cylindrically shaped rod, disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of said housing adjacent the outside surface thereof, said housing having a pair of flanges provided at its ends through which the ends of said rod are disposed, for rotatably mounting said rod on said housing, said rod additionally including a tool-receiving slot at the upper end thereof disposed within a recessed aperture provided in said flange at the top of the sprinkler housing; and

an eccentric cam member, affixed to the lower end of said cylindrical rod below the end of said housing adjacent said inlet nozzle, for engaging the side of said inlet nozzle in response to rotational movement of said rod, and thereby securing said sprinkler housing on said inlet nozzle at a desired vertical position.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1, further compris- 

1. In a lawn sprinkler, including a housing, and a sprinkler head slidably disposed within the housing, for distributing water over a selected area of terrain, the combination comprising: an inlet nozzle, coupled to a water feed pipe, slidably disposed and non-rotatably secured within the sprinkler housing for supplying water to the sprinkler head; an elongated, cylindrically shaped rod, disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of said housing adjacent the outside surface thereof, said housing having a pair of flanges provided at its ends through which the ends of said rod are disposed, for rotatably mounting said rod on said housing, said rod additionally including a tool-receiving slot at the upper end thereof disposed within a recessed aperture provided in said flange at the top of the sprinkler housing; and an eccentric cam member, affixed to the lower end of said cylindrical rod below the end of said housing adjacent said inlet nozzle, for engaging the side of said inlet nozzle in response to rotational movement of said rod, and thereby securing said sprinkler housing on said inlet nozzle at a desired vertical position.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1, further comprising, an elongated, rectangular-shaped projecting member, intregally formed on the external surface of said inlet nozzle, and wherein said housing further comprises a corresponding rectangular-shaped recess for receiving said projecting member when said housing is disposed over said nozzle, for preventing rotational movement of the housing with respect to said inlet nozzle. 